Saint Martin L'Ars: between architectural heritage and nature

Depart from the town of Saint-Martin-l'Ars, latitude 46.2124060 (N 46° 12’ 45”), longitude 0.5395090 (E 0° 32’ 22”)

• Saint Martin Castle

• Private property, do not visit! You can partly see the castle from the church square or go down the street in the opposite direction to the pond and take the first right to see the entrance and gate of the castle.
• The castle is mostly built in two stages, in the 15th and 18th centuries. In 1583, Julien Le Bœuf, Jacques de Greaulme and Jean de Moussy succeeded each other as lord Pierre de Salignac in 1609. The Lambertye gave the building its present appearance. In 1789 the Earl of Lambertye is deputy of the nobility of Poitou to the States General.
• Architecture
• The vast front yard, bounded by a grid of clever inflections, closed around the main courtyard by side gates and with volute fins, helps to ennoble this beautiful home. The wing of Commons attests the agricultural vocation of the domain.
• A moat flowing into Clain circumscribes a platform encircled by tall towers; the loopholes were turned into gunboats and a room in the south west tower converted into a chapel.
• The house is a rectangular building supported by two towers overlooking the river. The confrontation between the medieval heritage and the principles of classical composition has produced a balanced and harmonious work of architecture.

• Etang Saint Martin l'Ars: start of the loop

• Pond 6 ha fishing place, swimming, outdoor games, mountain bike trail, picnic area. On site, restaurant, barbecue, play with small electric boats, supervised swimming in the summer.

• The Abbey of La Réau (private can not be visited)

• You can see her from the outside but not able to enter her yard.
• The abbey was founded in the twelfth century in the Clain bocage valley by regular canons of St. Augustine. During the visit you can discover: the open-air abbey church, the convent buildings flanked by a large machicolated tower, restored in the classical period with a monumental staircase, the chapter house, the vestiges of the cloister, fortifications 15th century and French gardens. Part of the buildings, rebuilt in the fifteenth and eighteenth, was transformed into a castle.